Gone Crazy in Alabama

The Coretta Scott King Award–winning Gone Crazy in Alabama by Newbery Honor and New York Times bestselling author Rita Williams-Garcia tells the story of the Gaither sisters as they travel from the streets of Brooklyn to the rural South for the summer of a lifetime.

Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern are off to Alabama to visit their grandmother Big Ma and her mother, Ma Charles. Across the way lives Ma Charles’s half sister, Miss Trotter. The two half sisters haven’t spoken in years. As Delphine hears about her family history, she uncovers the surprising truth that’s been keeping the sisters apart. But when tragedy strikes, Delphine discovers that the bonds of family run deeper than she ever knew possible.

Powerful and humorous, this companion to the award-winning One Crazy Summer and P.S. Be Eleven will be enjoyed by fans of the first two books, as well as by readers meeting these memorable sisters for the first time

(Goodreads.com)

Enchanted Air

In this poetic memoir, Margarita Engle, the first Latina woman to receive a Newbery Honor, tells of growing up as a child of two cultures during the Cold War.

Margarita is a girl from two worlds. Her heart lies in Cuba, her mother's tropical island country, a place so lush with vibrant life that it seems like a fairy tale kingdom. But most of the time she lives in Los Angeles, lonely in the noisy city and dreaming of the summers when she can take a plane through the enchanted air to her beloved island. Words and images are her constant companions, friendly and comforting when the children at school are not.

Then a revolution breaks out in Cuba. Margarita fears for her far-away family. When the hostility between Cuba and the United States erupts at the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Margarita's worlds collide in the worst way possible. How can the two countries she loves hate each other so much? And will she ever get to visit her beautiful island again?

(Goodreads.com)

Finding Winnie

Before Winnie-the-Pooh, there was a real bear named Winnie.

In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear. He named her Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war.

Harry Colebourn's real-life great-granddaughter tells the true story of a remarkable friendship and an even more remarkable journey--from the fields of Canada to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England...

And finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made another new friend: a real boy named Christopher Robin. Here is the remarkable true story of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh. 

(Goodreads)

Don't Throw it to Mo!

Winner of the 2016 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award

Mo Jackson is a little boy with a big passion for sports. He may not be the biggest, the strongest, or the fastest player, but he won't let that stop him from playing!Mo is the youngest kid on the Robins, his football team. His classmates don’t mind, but the kids on their rival team tease him for being a "butterfingers" who's too tiny to catch the ball. But Mo's coach has a plan to turn Mo's little size into a big win for the Robins!

(Goodreads.com)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Kinney, J. (2009). Diary of a wimpy kid: dog days. New York, NY: Abrams Books.

Gregory continues to write in his diary during his summer vacation. He loves spending time inside the house watching movies or playing video games. His mom, however, has been trying to encourage him to spend more time doing outdoor activities. Nevertheless, it seems that every time Gregory tries doing things outdoors, something always goes wrong. He even gets into an argument with his friend Rowley, and almost gets his father arrested. Although things didn't always go according to plans, Gregory knew everything was going to be alright now that summer was almost over.
In his book, Kinney told the story through Gregory's point of view.  This is important because it allows readers to know exactly what the character's actions and thoughts are.  The diary format and the style of writing allows readers to relate to the character in the story.  The pencil drawn illustrations add an  extra dose of entertainment to the story.

If you liked Diary of a wimpy Kid: Dog Days, you'll probably enjoy reading more of Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Visit Jeff Kinney's website to find more of his collection. http://www.wimpykid.com/

Bridge to Terabithia

Patterson, K. (1997). Bridge to Terabithia. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Jesse Aarons meets Lelie Burke after she becomes the fastest runner in in the fifth grade. The two became friends, and soon found a secret place in the woods where they could allow their imaginations to run wild.  Jes and Leslie really enjoyed the time they spent together in the land they named Terabithia. Their secret world, however, comes to an end when Jesse gets the horrible news that his friend Leslie had an accident when visiting Terabithia by herself. Patterson adds an unexpected twist to this story of fantasy and imagination. In the end, Jesse decides to share the magical kingdom with his younger sisters, whom he had taken for granted before.


Watch the book trailer for Bridge to Terabithia: http://vimeo.com/18862933

It's so amazing

Harris, R. 1999. It's so amazing. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.

It's so amazing is a book about the human body. Young readers will be able to get answers to questions they might have about their own body, and how it develops. It describes differences about the male and female body, as well as the development from being an infant to becoming adult.  Michael Emberley used the typical bird and bee to discuss the topics in the book.  His use of comic strip style is sure to entertain readers of any age.  The book is organized in a way that readers can choose to read the entire book, or select certain topics to read.

This is a good book to integrate when learning about life cycles in class, specifically, human development.